Black Generation Y gender differences in Premier Soccer League spectator motives : sport marketing

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are gender differences concerning Premier Soccer League (PSL) spectator motives amongst black Generation Y students in South Africa. In South Africa, the black Generation Y cohort (individuals born between 1986 and 2005) represents an important but under-researched market segment in that, in 2013, they made up 32 percent of the country's population. From a PSL marketing perspective, understanding the motives that drive game spectatorship amongst male and female black Generation Y members will offer important insights on how best to tailor marketing strategies targeted at this significantly sized segment. Those pursuing tertiary qualifications are likely to be of particular interest to marketers, including sport marketers given that a tertiary qualification is generally associated with a higher future earning potential as well as a higher social standing in a community, making graduates likely current and future role models. The study, following a descriptive research design, made use of a self-administered questionnaire designed to measure black Generation Y students' PSL spectator motives. A single cross-sectional convenience sample of 400 students across two South African public higher education institutions’ campuses situated in the Gauteng province was drawn to gather the required data. Data analysis was done using confirmatory factor analysis, descriptive statistics and an independent samples t-test. The findings suggest that there is a statistically significant difference between black Generation Y male and female students concerning five of the PSL spectator motives, namely aesthetics, knowledge, physical skills, family and entertainment.